WITH the summer heat reaching its peak, festival season is in full swing, meaning it’s time, once again, for residents music lovers to brace themselves for the return of Reading Festival.
With around 100,000 people expected to attend, Reading Borough Council has laid out information for attendees and residents alike, including travel, safety, and facilities information.
Travel:Transport around Reading undergoes a number of changes as roads and travel routes become busy.
Thursday, August 27,is expected to be particularly busy as it’s the day most festival-goers arrive.
Festival Friday (Aug 28) is also expected to be a busy day for those with day-only tickets.
Near to normal travel levels are expected on the Saturday and Sunday of the festival (August 29-30), although shops and supermarkets will be busier than usual.
Residents are reminded roads will be extremely busy again on the Bank Holiday Monday (August 31) as festival-goers leave the event.
Parking:
PArking restrictions are put in place around the festival site on Richfield Avenue, including no stopping for pick-ups; Hills Meadow Car Park is designated as the drop-off and pick-up point.
Festival car parking is available at Mapledurham and Kings Meadow for parking pass holders.
For festival visitors parking at Mapledurham, a pedestrian bridge has again been constructed direct to the site to ensure easy and safe access.
For those parking at Kings Meadow, an official festival boat service is provided free of charge to help transport everyone, including tents and belongings, into the festival site.
People are advised to be on their guard against any illegal / unregulated boats that may be operating, which includes those offering a taxi service.
There is only the one authorised boat service, and monitoring of the river is in place for the duration of the event.
Traffic:
Temporary traffic management rules will be in place in a number of places around Reading during the festival.
The usual night-time closure of the Thames Path (from 7pm to 6am) will again be in operation from Thursday 27 August to Monday 31 August.
The closure will apply between Scours Lane to the far end of Thameside Promenade.
Richfield Avenue will be closed from 10.30pm to 1.00am on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday (August 28 -30) of festival weekend to assist a safe exit from the festival site of the 30,000-day ticket holders.
The closure is split into two parts: Richfield Avenue will be closed to all vehicles between its junctions with Cardiff Road and Tessa Road and it will additionally be closed to all vehicles, except for authorised access, between its junctions with Tessa Road and Caversham Road.
During Bank Holiday Monday (August 31), the Napier Road / Vastern Road roundabout will be particularly busy, with temporary traffic management in place if required.
The northbound closure of Cow Lane, between Portman Road and Cardiff Road, is likely to be reinstated between 7am and 3pm on the Bank Holiday Monday to help with coach transfers and the exit of service vehicles from the festival site, depending on traffic levels in this area.
It is strongly advised to avoid driving through these areas, in addition to the areas immediately around the site and the main event car parks, on the Bank Holiday Monday.
There will be enforced parking and loading restrictions in place around the festival site, particularly along Richfield Avenue.
Guests should follow the borough-wide signing to the designated drop-off / pick-up area (Hills Meadow Car Park, George Street, (RG4 8DH) or to their pre-booked car park.
Getting to and from the festival:
For private cars, the only pick-up and drop-off is Hills Meadow car park.
Festival-goers then have the option of walking along the towpath to the festival site via Christchurch Bridge, the Council’s pedestrian and cycle bridge over the Thames, or taking the free boat up to one of the ticket entrance gates.
To help maintain traffic flow, the Council’s parking enforcement officers will be working alongside police to crack down on people who park illegally and cause an obstruction.
The quickest walking route from Reading Station to the site is via the northern side of the station, not the town centre side.
Festival visitors also have the option of travelling to the site by hackney carriage, or a special festival shuttle bus which operates from the northern exit of the station.
Throughout the duration of the festival a temporary taxi rank will be operating in Tessa Road – opposite Rivermead Leisure Centre and next to the festival site – as a further option for travelling to and from the site.
Visitors are being reminded that they should pre-book private hire vehicles. It is illegal to hail them from the roadside.
All licensed vehicles must display a plate on the back, and all drivers must have an identity badge in full view.
Festival-goers are reminded not to use private land as pick-up/drop-off points without express permission from the landowner or they may be liable to receive parking fines and / or be subject to other legal action.
Business Changes:
Rivermead Leisure Centre will see some closures to its facilities over the festival weekend.
Sports Hall closes 6am Saturday 22 August and reopens 5pm Tuesday 1 September
Studios close noon on Sunday 23 August and reopen 5pm Tuesday 1 September
Soft Play and Café closes 6am Monday 24 August and reopens 1pm Tuesday 1 September
Gym and Swimming facilities close 6am Wednesday 26 August and reopen 6am Tuesday 1 September
A special hotline number – 020 8080 1518 – has been set up for residents who wish to offer comments or to raise queries during the event.
The line will be answered between 9am and 5pm on Wednesday 26 August, and then 24 hours a day from 9am on Thursday 27 August until 3pm on Monday 31 August.
There is also an email for residents to use: ReadingFestivalHotline@reading.gov.uk. (emails are checked regularly during main event hours).
